
Maybe other game companies should start pondering their mistakes as much as Nathan Drake
The gaming industry is definitely not in the best state in which it’s ever been. While it’s indisputable that the technological progress only leaves room for greatness, it’s the marketing strategies coming from most triple A companies that are driving the industry into the ground.
With most of those companies caring about nothing else other than for their product to sell, it’s inevitable for the quality throughout the entire market to plummet. And how can it not, with games that aren’t even ready yet being sold for their full price, and with the constant influx of DLCs and in-game purchases?
Gamers have been complaining about the situation of the market for years. It’s not normal to have to pay extra for something that should be part of the game, and shouldn’t be launched with first day patches, because since the customer is paying for the full experience, they shouldn’t have to wait for the game to be fixed after they already paid full money for it.
Bringing hope to a huge amount of fans everywhere, one company might actually start making a difference. So, a week before the official launch, Naughty Dog announces free Uncharted 4 DLC. And they also motivate their choice, showing how companies can make money and not insult their user base.
And they are going to make pretty much everything other than the main game free. Well, that’s not entirely true, as micro-transactions will still be a part of the game, but they will nobly work to speed things up. Pretty much everything else will be fully unlockable via gameplay.
The main thing on which the company focused was to make the Uncharted 4 multiplayer modes and maps fully free of charge. Naughty Dog’s explanation was that they would only be losing customers if they were to offer only some game modes and some maps. This way, everybody can pay for the game and get the full experience.
Sure, micro-transactions may still be viewed as immoral by some, but they really aren’t in Uncharted 4’s case. The only micro-transactions will be related to vanity items and weapons, which can be bought with real money. But they are also fully unlockable while playing the game, so you only have to pay money if you want to speed things up.
Understandably, gamers are very hopeful and eager for the game to be released. Not only will the game’s release mark the ending of the long-standing franchise and the beginning of the studio working on The Last of Us 2, but they are also hopeful that more companies will understand that there are far better ways to make money and still keep your user base.
Image source: Flickr